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Historic Preservation

Since its establishment in 1867, the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign administration has dedicated itself to provide a superior campus environment to support its educational objectives. The physical development of the Urbana campus has witnessed the construction and acquisition of historically significant architectural, engineering, landscape and archaeological resources. To promote the preservation of its historic resources, the university adopted a Campus Historic Preservation Plan in 1995 advocating the following objectives:

To preserve the historic assets of the campus

To respect the integrity of historic structures during rehabilitation and/or new construction

To use heritage as an inspiration for new projects

To seek private funding for the rehabilitation of historic assets

To pass historical and architectural heritage on to future generations

The area of study in the campus historic preservation plan encompasses approximately 3,500 acres, divided into four parts:

North Campus

Central Campus

South Campus

South Farms

North Campus

The north campus study area, bounded by Green Street, Wright Street, University Avenue, and Lincoln Avenue, is occupied almost entirely by the College of Engineering.

Central Campus

South Campus

The south campus is bounded by Armory Avenue, the Canadian National tracks, Lincoln Avenue, and St. Mary’s Road. South campus can be thought of as two general areas, with academic uses clustered in the northern area and recreational, housing, and support uses on the periphery.

South Farms

The south farms consist of approximately 2,700 acres bounded by Florida and Kirby Avenues, the Canadian National Railroad, Curtis Road, and Race Street.

The corporate boundary of Urbana and Champaign bisects the study area at Wright Street. University-owned land in Champaign consists primarily of small dispersed parcels, whereas land ownership in Urbana is characterized by larger, consolidated parcels.

Research Park

Located in the southwest sector of campus between First and Neil Streets, St. Mary's Road, and Hazelwood Drive, Research Park is a campus-owned property awash with startup businesses and corporate research and development operations.

National Historic Preservation Act

The National Historic Preservation Act of 1966 is an important piece of preservation legislation enacted by the U.S., requiring that the impact of federally funded or permitted projects on historic properties (buildings, archaeological sites, etc.) be subject to periodic evaluation. This vital policy impacts the University of Illinois campus, as it acts as the added incentive needed to ensure that campus's beauteous buildings remain intact and inhabitable by all students. The university prides itself on the impeccable preservation of many of its historic landmarks, with Altgeld Hall being rated a perfect five stars.